Ultraconductus: Innovative Electrical Conductors

[flathill]

Ultraconductus represents a leap forward in technology comparable to Thomas Edison's first economically viable system of central generation and distribution of electric light, heat, and power. The revolutionary Ultraconductus manufacturing technology easily produces wires and cables that have greater conductivity than any other metal alloy, possess 10 times the tensile strength and up to 100 times the conductivity of copper, operate at both room temperature and high-temperature environments, do not require cooling, and are not subject to current density and magnetic field or temperature quench. Additionally, the normalized cost of Ultraconductus cables, expressed in terms of dollars per meter for 100-ampere capacity, is at least four times less expensive than copper and at least 25–30 times less expensive than high-temperature superconductors.

http://www.lanl.gov/science/NSS/issue2_2011/story5full.shtml

 

[John in CR]

I'll take 10 kilometers of 20 gauge Ultraconductus with a 200°C diaelectric motor wire coating. Even though it's 1/4th the cost of copper on a per current capacity basis, I'll pay twice that. Where do I sign up to buy the stuff?

How can this not be considered a room temperature super-conductor? Something I was recently going to post on General is "Where are our room temperature super-conductors?" As a kid science essentially promised I'd have a nuclear powered car by now, even if not Jetsons type flying cars. With the internet enhancing the ability to readily share, for multiple brains working together to solve problems, true advancements have been awfully slow. This ultraconductors thing, if true, is a world changer. Imagine the advancements possible in motors with copper losses suddenly becoming smaller than iron losses. This needs to be a reality ASAP, like yesterday.

 

[Punx0r]

Interesting. Although they must have been very creative with the costings.

I wonder how you terminate the cables?

 

[crossbreak]

this article was posted 2011. there should be some improvement by now? here is an article written in 2014. it state that

a series of tests at Rice showed the wet-spun carbon nanotube fiber still handily beat copper, carrying up to four times as much current as a copper wire of the same mass

http://news.rice.edu/2014/02/13/rices-carbon-nanotube-fibers-outperform-copper-2/

as nanotubes are more lightweight than copper, it seems that phase wire conductivity cannot be improved much with these new wires ATM. hopefully in the future.

 

[Punx0r]

Yeah, that's a killer. If you're looking at conductance per unit mass then aluminium is twice as good as copper.